[ Academia ] [ Litigation ] [ Regulatory & Policy ] as a Foundational Course : Environmental lawyers should understand how the tort liability system may be used as a method of compensating those who are harmed by the actions or omissions of others. This course will assesses the comparative contribution of regulatory regimes and the tort system by examining both institutional perspectives on agencies and courts, and the consequences of a range of efforts to address mass harms. Students considering a career in environmental law may want to take one or more courses focusing on harms to public health and the tort system.

General course
Description:

Beginning in the late 1960s, American society experienced a dramatic rise in sensitivity to risks concerning health and safety from products and industrial processes. These concerns were recognized in the public sector, where federal legislation reconstituted the regulatory system, and at the same time, the judiciary refashioned tort law for a new era. In the twenty-first century, the ever-dynamic character of regulation and tort has opened new pathways for conflict and complementarity in efforts to reduce risk, compensate victims, and promote economic growth-goals that are not easily reconciled.

This seminarassesses the comparative contributions of regulatory regimes and the tort system by examining both institutional perspectives on agencies and courts and the consequences of a range of concrete efforts to address mass harms such as breakdowns in auto safety, flawed design of medical devices, and the aftermath of 9/11.

Course Style: A Substantive course teaches the law, theory, and policy in a particular area of law